Jack of Harts

Fort Hood’s military funding suffered greatly in the years before the Second Great Depression. They received feasibility funding for testing prototype mech deployment within the armored cavalry, but all other combat-oriented budget line items were cut to the bone. Many military historians say through the bone and into the territory of forced demobilization. Sensitivity and social awareness briefings were fully funded and staffed, but federal penny pinchers cut training and spare parts funding for the expensive tanks that would never be needed in another war that was never going to happen. The soldiers would be much more useful digging ditches or laying down pavement for the much more important expansion of social services complexes after all. Texas helped them stretch what dollars they received by donating food, housing, and other support services under the table. It wouldn’t do for the feds to realize that and cut even more funding after all. But despite everything Fort Hood soldiers and technicians did, readiness levels fell below fifty percent as they scavenged parts from many tanks to keep others operational. It was a dark time for Fort Hood.